Garden Mission

Connecting people with plants by conserving and researching the biological diversity of our collections and ecosystems; engaging our visitors in learning about plants, gardens and ecosystems; and inspiring our visitors to value plants, gardens and natural habitats.

A Brief History of the Garden

The Garden was founded in 1993 by a visionary group of local plant enthusiasts. The organization incorporated with the IRS with 501 C (3) status in 1994.

In 2000, the late Harvey Kapnick, Jr. donated $5 million for the purchase of 170 acres of open space 3 miles from downtown Naples.

In 2006, the team of Ellin Goetz, Ted Flato, Raymond Jungles, Herb Schaal, Bob Truskowski and Made Wijaya, dubbed the “Dream Team” by the Miami Herald, completed the master plan for Naples Botanical Garden.

Construction on the first phase began in 2008 with the digging of Deep Lake and Lake Tupke and the sculpting of the site with 250,000 yards of fill produced by lake excavation. In November of 2009 the Garden opened the Smith Children’s Garden, Kapnick Brazilian Garden, Kapnick Caribbean Garden and the Smith River of Grass.

In January 2010, The Florida Gulf Coast University Harvey Kapnick Research and Education Center, a shared use facility, opened. Later in 2010 the Garden opened the Scott Florida Garden, Buehler Enabling Garden, Garden Club of Naples Idea Garden, Lea Asian Garden and the Water Garden.

Finally in October of 2014 the master plan implementation was completed with the opening the Chabraja Visitor Center including Kathryn’s Garden, Irma’s Garden, LaGrippe Orchid Garden, Kapnick Hall, Berger Shop in the Garden and the Fogg Café.

Today the Garden welcomes over 220,000 visitors per year to experience themed gardens that represent the culture and flora of the tropics.

About the Garden

The opening of the Eleanor and Nicholas Chabraja Visitor Center in October 2014 represented the final phase in the Garden’s first master plan. Designed to and awarded LEED Gold standard, this $16 million project tied together the first two phases opened in 2009 and 2010 to create an integrated visitor experience with exceptional amenities. The response from our guests has been outstanding; TripAdvisor ranks Naples Botanical Garden as the #1 attraction in Naples with over 95% of visitors rating their experience very good or excellent. Charity Navigator reported that we were the 7th fastest growing not for profit in the United States in 2013 and they have also awarded the Garden 4 stars, the highest possible for financial management.

Few people are aware that Florida Gulf Coast University actually has a campus, The Kapnick Research and Education Center, right in the heart of Naples Botanical Garden. This high tech facility opened in January 2010 and currently is home to three FGCU professors and a host of researchers working on projects as diverse as green roofs and Everglades restoration.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation serving our community is why we exist. Naples Botanical Garden is a treasure-trove of flora (and occasional fauna!) in the heart of Naples, enriching our community not only with natural resources, but with largescale exhibitions, concerts, flower shows, holiday celebrations and family friendly events. Significant fundraising opportunities such as Hats in the Garden, the kick off to Naples’ social season, help fund education and horticulture programs throughout the year.